US Fed News Service, Including US State News back issues from Tuesday, July 10:
French Inventors Develop Shock-absorbing Intervertebral Implant
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Regis Le Couedic of Bordeaux, France, and Jacques Senegas of Medignac, France, have developed an intervertebral implant comprising a spacer designed to be applied between two spinous processes of two vertebrae. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark ...
Indiana Inventor Develops Universal Interference Cleat
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Dean G. Karahalios of Indianapolis has developed a vertebral implant that comprises a tubular body sized to fit between two vertebral endplates and a pair of ring-shaped cleat assemblies. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Each cleat ...
German Inventor Develops Internal Combustion Engine
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Peter Schueren of Krefeld, Germany, has developed an internal combustion engine with at least two cylinder banks. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to an "intake air crossover arrangement for an internal combustion ...
U.S., German Inventors Develop Fluid Level Measuring Apparatus
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Neil T. Wilkie of Fairfield, Ohio, Michael L. Topputo of West Chester, Ohio, Juergen Motzer of Gengenbach, Germany, and Juergen Dietmeier of Hausach, Germany, have developed a device for use in measuring stratified fluid levels in a container. According to the ...
Delaware, Pennsylvania, Texas Inventors Develop Bioactive Spinal Implants
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Charanpreet Bagga of Phoenixville, Pa., Erik M. Erbe of Berwyn, Pa., James P. Murphy of Broomall, Pa., James M. Freid of Round Rock, Texas, and Gregory J. Pomrink of Rehobeth Beach, Del., have developed bioactive spinal implants and a method of manufacture ...
Michigan Inventor Develops Internal Combustion Engine Hydraulic Valve-Lash-Adjusting Element
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Donald R. Haefner of Troy, Mich., has developed a hydraulic valve-lash-adjusting element (HVA) for the valve train of an internal combustion engine. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to a "HVA for the valve train of an ...
California Inventor Develops Tissue Expander System
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Tewodros Gedebou of Los Angeles has developed non-fluidized tissue expanders, tissue expander systems, and methods of expanding tissue. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The tissue expanders, systems, methods of the present invention ...
U.S., Italian Inventors Develop Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Technique
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Reinhold Schmieding of Naples, Fla., and Giancarlo Puddu of Rome, Italy, have developed methods and an apparatus for arthroscopic tenodesis using sockets in bone created by retrograde cutting. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A cannulated ...
Michigan Inventors Develop Hybrid Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Allen J. Walenty and Robert A Rimkus, both of Macomb, Mich., and John G Maxgay of Rochester Hills, Mich., have developed a hybrid tire pressure monitoring system. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A tire pressure monitoring system for a ...
Wisconsin, Tennessee Inventors Develop Interbody Fusion Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Eddie Ray III of Cordova, Tenn., Lawrence M. Boyd of Memphis, Tenn., and Thomas Zdeblick of Madison, Wis., have developed an interbody fusion device that includes a tapered body defining a hollow interior for receiving bone graft or bone substitute ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Vane pump Flow Rate Adjusting Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Masao Kano and Mitsuyuki Kobayashi, both of Gamagori, Japan, and Koichi Inagaki of Okazaki, Japan, have developed a rotor that includes a plurality of vanes and which is connected to a rotatable shaft of a motor arrangement. According to the U.S. Patent & ...
Swiss, German Inventors Develop Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Uwe Steinhardt of Hirrlingen, Germany, and Daniel F. aWengen of Binningen, Switzerland, have developed an auditory ossicle prosthesis which is configured to be fastened to the limb of incus of the human ossicular chain. According to the U.S. Patent & ...
Swiss Inventor Develops Surgical Ring for Biological Organs
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Michel Andre Bachmann of Vaux sur Morges, Switzerland, has developed a surgical ring featuring a reversible diameter remote control system. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to a "surgical ring, designed to be implanted ...
Michigan Inventors Develop Slotted Damping Section
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Geoffrey C Wilson of Lake Orion, Mich., and Mark E Gleason of Farmington Hills, Mich., have developed a slotted damping section for aerodynamic wind tunnel. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A damping section, for an aerodynamic wind tunnel ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Engine Starting Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Masahiko Yuya of Yokohama, Japan, Atsushi Mitsuhori of Hiratsuka, Japan, and Takatsugu Katayama of Isehara, Japan, have developed an engine starting method and a engine starting device. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An engine starting ...
German Inventors Develop Occlusion Spirals Implanting Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Hermann Monstadt of Bochum, Germany, and Hans Henkes of Essen, Germany, have developed an assembly for implanting an occlusion coil in a body cavity or a blood vessel via a catheter. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to ...
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ANNUAL MEETING SET FOR JULY 10
Jul 10, 2007 ... The Alabama Department of Education issued the following news release: The Alabama Board of Education will hold its annual K-12 meeting Tuesday, July 10, at 9:30 a.m., in the auditorium of the Gordon Persons Building at 50 N. Ripley Street in Montgomery. The meeting is open to the ...
UNDERSTANDING KILLER ELECTRONS IN SPACE
Jul 10, 2007 ... The U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory issued the following press release: Settling a longstanding scientific debate, Los Alamos scientists have demonstrated conclusively how electromagnetic waves accelerate ordinary electrons in the belts of radiation outside ...
U.S., French, Swedish Inventors Develop Fusion Implant
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Robert Lange of Paris, France, Armand Linge of Richterswil, Sweden, and Steve Olson of Knoxville, Tenn., have developed a fusion implant apparatus for the replacement of a vertebra or an intervertebral disc, having at least one biocompatible ...
German Inventor Develops Workpiece Together Pressing Tool
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Walter Viegener of Attendorn, Germany, has developed a pressing tool for the pressing-together of workpieces. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A pressing tool includes at least two pressing jaws hinged together to enclose a workpiece ...
Maryland Inventors Develop Voltage and Calcium Dyes for Cell-Based Assays
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Yong Yao of North Potomac, Md., Liang Cao of Bethesda, Md., Jianming Lu of Potomac, Md., and Isabel Llorente of Adamstown, Md., have developed cell-based assays employing voltage and calcium dyes. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Disclosed ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Combustion-Type Power Tool
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Tomomasa Nishikawa, Yoshitaka Akiba and Haruhisa Fujisawa, all from Hitachinaka, Japan, have developed a combustion-type power tool with a cooling arrangement for cooling a cylinder. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The tool includes a ...
Taiwanese, Hong Kong Inventors Develop Engine Rocker Arm
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Chin-Tang Wang of Tainan, Taiwan, and Ieng-Heong Lio of Shatin, Hong Kong, have developed a rocker arm that is adapted for use with an engine which includes a push rod, a valve unit and a pivot ball disposed on a supporting frame. According to the U.S. Patent ...
German Inventor Develops Actuator Controlling Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Franz Kunz of Altmannstein, Germany, has developed a method for controlling an actuator by using a retaining mark space ratio. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The invention relates to a method for controlling an actuator which can be ...
German Inventors Develop Internal Combustion Engine Camshaft Adjuster
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Kai Lehmann of Ludwigsfelde, Germany, and Jo Rosener of Berlin, have developed a camshaft adjuster of an internal combustion engine. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "In a camshaft adjuster for an internal combustion engine comprising a ...
New York, New Jersey Inventors Develop Hydrogen Storage Media Fuel Gauge
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- David H. DaCosta of Central Valley, N.Y., P. Mark Golben of Florida, N.Y., and David C. Tragna of West Milford, N.J., have developed a fuel gauge for hydrogen storage media. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A hydrogen gas storage container ...
Texas, Illinois, California Inventors Develop Continuous-Range Hydrogen Sensor
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Mohshi Yang and Richard Finh, both of Austin, Texas, Greg Monty of Vernon Hills, Ill., and Kwok Ng of San Jose, Calif., have developed a continuous-range hydrogen sensor. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The present invention provides for ...
British Inventors Develop Non-oxidative Hair Coloring Composition
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Stephen Watkins and Heather Eyre, both of Kent, Great Britain, have developed non-oxidative hair colouring compositions, and methods of improving the colour effects including the colour-fastness of non-oxidative hair colouring compositions. According to the ...
South Korean Inventor Develops Continuous Variable Valve Timing Apparatus Oil Filter
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Chung-Han Oh of Yongin-si, South Korea, has developed an oil filter for continuous variable valve timing apparatus in the engine. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An oil supply passage of a cylinder head increases design freedom of ...
Arizona, Indiana, Rhode Island Inventors Develop Large Taper Modular Shoulder Prosthesis
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Thomas S. Camino of Warsaw, Ind., Duane G. Snyder of Scottsdale, Ariz., and David J. Urbahns of Barrington, R.I., have developed a kit for assembly of a modular joint prosthesis with at least two shank/body elements sized for insertion into the shank of the bone and ...
French Inventors Develop Keratinous Fibers Dyeing Imidazole Compounds
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Laurent Vidal and Jean-Baptiste Saunier, both of Paris, and Jacqueline Mavro of Le Perreux, France, have developed novel imidazole compounds which can be useful as couplers for the oxidation dyeing of keratinous fibers. According to the U.S. Patent & ...
Dutch Inventors Develop Fluorescent Lamp Manufacture Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Ingrid Jozef Maria Snijkers-Hendrickx, Henricus Albertus Maria Van Hal and Wilhelmus Cornelis Keur, all from Eindhoven, Netherlands, have developed a method of manufacturing a fluorescent lamp. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A ...
Rhode Island Inventor Develops Selective Bird Feeder
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Betsy P. Colwell of Foster, R.I., has developed a selective feeders for selectively allowing entrance of animals of a selected size while restricting the entrance of animals that are larger than the selected size. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark ...
German Inventors Develop Bending Machine
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Glenn Fielder and Ivo Karrasch, both of Berlin, have developed a bending tool for bending sheet metal and plate workpieces. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A bending tool for bending workpieces, especially plate and sheet metal blanks ...
Texas Inventor Develops Mobile Cattle Hospital
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Warren R. White of Hereford, Texas, has developed a mobile cattle hospital for treating pens of cattle close to the pens. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A gooseneck trailer forms a platform upon which various gates, fence panels, a ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Light-Metal Hollow Member Extrusion
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Sumihiko Maeno and Akira Sakae, both of Kobe-shi, Japan, have developed a method of extruding hollow light metal member. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "It is an object to realize and establish new extrusion technology for manufacturing a ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Piston Cooling Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Yuichi Tawarada and Isamu Takahashi, both of Saitama, Japan, have developed a cooling structure that is a separate member from a structural portion of an engine. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An oil injection pipe includes cooling oil ...
German Inventors Develop Motor Vehicle Internal Combustion Engine
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Harald Pfeffinger of Tiefenbronn, Germany, and Heiko Sass of Tamm, Germany, have developed an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle. An abstract of the invention, released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, said: "In an internal combustion ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Lithography Process Pattern Size Correction Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Hajime Aoyama, Morimi Osawa, Teruyoshi Yao and Kozo Ogino, all from Kawasaki, Japan, have developed a pattern size correcting device and a pattern size correcting method for correcting the size of a device pattern formed in a lithography process which is one of the ...
South Korean Inventor Develops Field Emission Display
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Hyang-Suk No of Kochang-gun, South Korea, has developed a field emission display (FED) and a driving method thereof. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The FED of the present invention sequentially applies a selection signal to second ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Computer Aided Design Check System
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Yoshiyuki Saito and Tokuzo Kiyohara, both of Osaka, Japan, have developed a design-check system that checks electrical characteristics of computer aided design (CAD) layout data for a printed circuit board. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Liquid-jet Head and Liquid-jet Apparatus
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Masato Shimada, Yoshinao Miyata and Tomoaki Takahashi, all from Nagano-ken, Japan, have developed a liquid-jet head and a liquid-jet apparatus. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "In the liquid-jet head, a lower electrode, as a common ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Engine Cooling Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Akinobu Aoki and Mitsuo Hitomi, both of Hiroshima, Japan, have developed a cooling device of an engine that can improve an engine's warming-up and achieve a proper emission function of the engine. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "There are ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Carbon Substance Manufacturing Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 --Hirofumi Takikawa and Youhei Fujimura, both of Aichi, Japan, and Shigeo Itoh of Chiba, Japan, have developed a carbon substance and a method for manufacturing the same, an electron emission element and composite materials. According to the U.S. Patent & ...
Missouri Inventors Develop Multi-Stepped Appliance Accessory Holder
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Mark J Tomasiak and Stuart V Holsten, both of O'Fallon, Mo., and Michael F Martin of Florissant, Mo., have developed an accessory holder for holding or storing the accessories of an appliance. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The present ...
Nebraska Inventor Develops Tube-type Bird Feeder
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Raymon W. Lush of Bloomfield, Neb., has developed a tube-type bird feeder which is comprised of a hollow tubular member with upper and lower ends adapted to contain bird feed therein. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates ...
Vermont, California, New York Inventors Develop Integrated Circuit Layout Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Robert J. Allen of Jericho, Vt., Sarah C. Prue of Richmond, Vt., Mervyn Y. Tan of South Burlington, Vt., Peter K. Chan of Union City, Calif., and Evanthia Papadopoulou of New York, have developed a method, a system and a program product for determining a critical area ...
Texas Inventor Develops Multiple Function Animal Bed
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Dan L. Dietz of Houston has developed a animal furniture bed that is capable of being used to perform multiple functions. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An animal furniture bed having one side open to allow for storing of objects in an ...
Indian Inventors Develop Integreted Circuit Voltage Drop Analysis Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Arijit Dutta of New Delhi, India, and Anuj Singhania of Uttar Pradesh, India, have developed a method for voltage drop analysis in integreted circuits. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to a "method for performing a ...
German Inventor Develops High-Speed Sheet Feeding Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Gerd Von Allwoerden of Wedemark, Germany, has developed a high-speed sheet feeding without grip pliers. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The invention concerns a conveying device for sheet steel plates and for moving several sheets inside ...
Georgia Inventors Develop Avian Egg Activation Methods
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Tim Cantrell of Gainesville, Ga., and Andrew Wooten of Athens, Ga., have developed methods of activating an egg in a shell. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The present invention relates to the field of avian reproduction. In particular, ...
South Korean Inventor Develops Piezoelectric Type Vibrator
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Jin-Ho Cho of Daegu, South Korea, has developed a piezoelectric type vibrator that is included in an implantable hearing device. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The piezoelectric type vibrator comprises: a housing; a piezoelectric element portion ...
Idaho Inventors Develop Field Emission Display Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Kanwal K. Raina and Benham Moradi, both of Boise, Idaho, have developed a resistor layer for use in field emission display devices and the like, and its method of manufacture. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The resistor layer is an ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Fluorescent Lamp for Display Apparatus
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Takahiro Igarashi and Tsuneo Kusunoki, both of Kanagawa, Japan, and Katsutoshi Ohno of Tokyo, have developed a fluorescent lamp and a display apparatus having the fluorescent lamp. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "There is provided a ...
German Inventor Develops Plastic Shaping Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Gerd Berghaus of Kurten, Germany, has developed a device for the plastic deformation of work pieces. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The present invention relates to a device for the deformation of workpieces, in particular for the ...
Japanese Inventors Develop Electric Vehicle Cooling Controller
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Kanau Iwashita, Shinji Takayanagi and Hiroyuki Kikuchi, all from Saitama, Japan, have developed a cooling structure which can effectively cool a controller for controlling a drive of a motor in an electric vehicle. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark ...
California Inventors Develop Environmentally Controlled Animal Habitat System
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Ronald K. Bonner of Villa Park, Calif., and Eric R. Knudsen of Riverside, Calif., have developed an environmentally controlled animal habitat and a display system. An abstract of the invention, released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, said: "An ...
Oregon Inventor Develops Integrated Circuit Verification System
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- George P. Lippincott of Lake Oswego, Ore., has developed optical and process correction (OPC) tools. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An integrated circuit verification system provides an indication of conflicts between an OPC suggested ...
North Carolina, Texas, New York Inventors Develop Circuit Evaluation Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Bruce R. Archambeault of Four Oaks, N.C., Derrick D. Scott of Raleigh, N.C., Michelle K. Cook of Georgetown, Texas, and Charles R. Gates of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., have developed a method, a system and a program product for evaluating a circuit. According to the ...
Florida Inventors Develop Composite Wire Drawing Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Nathaniel R. Quick of Lake Mary, Fla., Aravinda Kar of Oviedo, Fla., Yonggang Li of Orlando, Fla., and Raymond R. McNeice of Debary, Fla., have developed a method of drawing a composite wire. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An apparatus ...
Chinese Inventors Develop Field Emission Device
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Yang Wei, Liang Liu and Shou-Shan Fan, all from Beijing, have developed triode field emission devices and methods for making the same. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A preferred method for making a field emission device includes the ...
HOUSE COMMITTEE WILL HOLD HEARING ENTITLED 'THE SURGEON GENERAL'S VITAL MISSION: CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE' ON JULY 10
Jul 10, 2007 ... The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued the following news release: On Tuesday, July 10, the Committee will hold a hearing entitled "The Surgeon General's Vital Mission: Challenges for the Future." The hearing will focus on the importance of the Surgeon General's ...
Illinois Inventors Develop Collapsible Insert Installing Method
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Patric Monahank of Rockton, Ill., and Scott Anderson of Rosco, Ill., have developed a tool and a method for installing collapsible inserts. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The tool includes a stabilizing handle which is threaded onto a ...
Illinois Inventors Develop Modular Planter Hydraulic System
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Leonard A. Bettin of La Grange Park, Ill., and Travis Lester Harnetiaux of Woodridge, Ill., have developed a modular hydraulic pump assembly for incorporation in an agricultural implement to be pulled by a tractor. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark ...
Georgia Inventor Develops Tufting Machine Replaceable Hook Modules
Jul 10, 2007 ... ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 10 -- Kendall Johnston of Dalton, Ga., has developed a hook module assembly for a tufting machine that allows for broken and damaged hooks of a level cut loop tufting machine to be replaced. According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The hook module ...